Finally got rid of that hedge y’all!
I thought this day would never come! Believe me it took several years to convince my husband to let me take it out. I am really pleased (and so is he) with the results.
Goodbye Pittosporum tobira hedge, let me stand back and look at you one last time. You know…. looking at this picture, it is not that it looked that bad when trimmed up, in fact it looks kind of nice. But the point is, low maintenance is key in my designs, and I like a more unruly look. This hedge is not doing anything for me – it is simply not my xericstyle. I enjoy the natural form of plants and I despised trimming this hedge. I had to do it A LOT to keep it at a reasonable height. Pittosporum is meant to be WAY larger (up to 15 ft), and this was the wrong placement. It required more maintenance than I am willing to give it.
Look at how close they were planted together too! Approximately one foot apart – they had nowhere to go but OUT WIDE FORWARD….which looked so weird to me. Have a look…
I mean…weird, right? Is this the widest hedge ever or what?!!? This picture denotes the SIDE of the hedge, not the front of it.
Look at all the planting space I gained – I can do something much more interesting with this space now. Stay tuned! I am so excited!
As far as I am concerned, this hedge has never looked better than in this pile. You know, I am working too hard in this yard to leave things that are not working for me. I think a lot of people are afraid to take out a tree, or hedge. Remember the impact taking out this tree had? I am learning on this journey as I evolve as a gardener, and as a person, that if something is not working for me, make it better. I am planting more trees, MANY more trees, so I simply do not feel guilty for a second.
- Posted in: Front Garden - year 1
Xericstyle 
so much better. I was dubious but i approve. Like when a really good looking guy has a stupid distracting mustache. Somehow your awesome gate and roof and other details are now so much more visible. How did you do it? the roots must have been nuts!
Ha! HAAAaaaaaaaaaaa! That is so hilarious – and so true!!!!! Glad I won you over – it is so much brighter in the front room, I just love it. The roots were WAY too much, and less than 1/4ft from the foundation (such a bad idea – what were they thinking!?)….I won’t be planting anywhere near them. I poisoned them after cutting them at ground level so they won’t sprout and that was that. I like the greenlight brand in the bottle that looks like Elmers white glue for this. I did the same to four gumdrop foundation trees that were there when we bought the house and then planted the rosemary that you see now with good results. So ….did it again.
and those tulip chairs look awesome there, now that you can see them!
Why thank you very much! – xericstyle
YAY! I soo support this! The hedge was oddly wide… I had to do a double take because I thought that your one picture was the front of it, but then I realized you were showing how wide it is. But what valuable and amazing space you have gained! I am excited to see what you do with it!
Right on Louis – thank you, that means a lot! I am soooooooooo excited to get started on that area! Stay tuned :) – xericstyle
It’s about time! Every time I dropped by, I wondered if you were planning to get rid of the hedge. I like the new look. It makes your home look much more open and welcoming. And now you can see your garden when you sit on that nice, big porch.
Ha! Totally – it WAS about time alright! Thanks so much for stopping by…I agree on the visibility too…I love seeing the garden every time I walk by that window now. All I used to see was that nasty, room darkening hedge. Thanks again Bluestem! – xericstyle
Looks fabulous! We have a row of Holly bushes that were planted 25 yrs ago that I’m ready to pull out. Everyday I say, “Hey, Hey, Ho,Ho Those holly bushes have to go!” Ha! Glad to have found your blog. Always nice to find a fellow gardener in SA.
Thank you for stopping by! I am so happy to meet another SA blogger – yay! I enjoyed your recent posts and look forward to reading more. Have a lovely day! – xericstyle
Great decision! Right plant – right space; that’s what Xericstyle is all about. I agree with the above comment, your home looks much more welcoming now. I like formal cut hedges too, in the right place but this hedge really didn’t suit your front garden.
Thanks Christina! I do try to plant things where they can achieve the form they want to be when they grow up ;) – although lately I have found that I have had to move things I have previously planted too close. Ah well…such is life. Learning as I go and enjoying every minute of it! – xericstyle
Wow – you opened that front patio up, now it welcomes the viewer or user. Hedges in such a place do the opposite of what they are suposed to do – just good for hiding junk! I cannot wait to see the replacement.
Haaaaa! So true! In fact, my husband said, “Oh no, now where is UPS going to leave packages…people might steal them!” – oh brother! Our neighbors watch like hawks, we are not having an ugly hedge to hide packages from amazon.com! Hide schmide….we are not hiding here….we are open so our home should reflect that. Not to mention, if anything, that was a place for possible burglars or predators to hide! EEK! Thanks for stopping by David, and I can’t wait for the re-do too – yay! – xericstyle